Apparatus for making containers



All@ 25, 1942' J. R. soNNEBoRN ET AL 2,294,215

APPARATUS FOR MAKING CONTAINERS Filed oct. 2, 1939 2 sheets-sheet 2 if 104 j!! zza l L @gli UL INVENTORS JOHN R. SONNEBORA/M JONATHAN Y. ALBERTSON ATTORNEY Patented ug. 25, 1942 APPARATUS FOR MAKING CONTAINERS John R. Sonneborn, Willow Grove, and Jonathan Y. Albertson, Philadelphia, Pa., assignors to Stokes and Smith Company, Summerdale, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application October 2, 1939, Serial No. 297,484

17 Claims. (Cl. 93-18) Our invention relates to apparatus for making containers from flexible material, more particularly thermoplastic material such as Plioflm, Cellophanel and the like.

In accordance with one aspect of our invention, webbing is shaped about a stationary form into a tube whose opposite sides are creased during feed of the webbing and are tucked in along the creasing substantially concurrently with fiattening ofthe tube beyond the form 3.o provide seals for containers which, because of aforesaid tucking in of the tube sides, have gusset folds within and adjacent their sealed ends; more particularly, the creasing and tuckng in of the sides of the tube are effected by members which are biased to move between plates extending within the tube beyond the form, and which plates are moved toward one another by clamping or sealing members which flatten the tube as aforesaid.

In accordance with another aspect of our invention, when the webbing is of thermoplastic material, the transverse seal portions while heated are relieved of feeding tension by auxiliary clamping members which are artificially cooled, as by passage of a cooling medium through them.

Our inventionv further resides in the features of combination, construction and arrangement l hereinafter described and claimed.

For an understanding of our invention, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which: l

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view, with parts broken away, of a machine for making, filling, and sealing gusset-type containers;

Fig. 2 is a detail view, in side elevation, of parts appearing in Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a detail view, in side elevation, and

on enlarged scale, of parts appearing in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of parts appearing'in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a plan view, discussed in connection with Figs. 3 and 4; v

Fig. 6 is a similar to Fig. 3, except the parts are in a different operating position;

Fig. 7 is a plan View, discussed in connection with Fig. 6;

Fig, 8 is similar to Figs. 3 and 6, except the parts are in different operating position;

Fig. 9 shows in perspective a container formed by the mechanism of the preceding figures;

Fig. 10 illustrates a modification of the webclamping structure shown in Figs. 3 to 8.

Referring to Fig. 1, web material W, fed from a supply roll not shown, is shaped into'tubular 55 form by the tools 4 and 5, of construction more fully disclosed in Zwoyer U. S. Patent No. 1,986,- 422, about the stationary tube or forming member 6 supported by bracket 1 adjustably secured to rod 8 depending from the upper frame member 9 of the machine.

The overlapping margins of web W are joined by a seal-forming device P whose construction and operation are more fully explained in Patent 2,200,971 which issued upon our co-pending application Serial No. 259,748, filed March 1,v 1939, thus to form a closed tube T of web material with a seal L extending longitudinally thereof.

To effect engagement of the sealing member 98 of device P with the web margins while the web material is at rest and therefore free of feeding tension and to move member 98 from the web material before the next feeding movement, there is provided a cam Ill secured to shaft ||8 driven from shaft 3| by chain ||9 which drives sprocket |20 on shaft ||8 and is driven by sprocket |2| on shaft 3|. The frame |06 which supports sealing member 98 is pivotally mounted upon bar |01 and is biased by a spring, not shown, toward tube 6. While the web is at rest, cam I1 permits the spring to move arm |06 to press member 98 against the overlapping margins of the web shaped about tube 6, and then after a brief dwell forces the arm |06 away from the tube 6 to interrupt contact of member 98 with the webbing before its next feeding movement.

Below the lower open end of the form 6 the tube T of web material is flattened by clamping members of a vertically reciprocating packageforming mechanism F whose construction is hereinafter more fully explained. Closure of the jaws of the device F produces a seal UL transversely of the tube, concurrently to form vthe bottom of a container (C)- to be filled through form 6, andto close the upper end of a previously filled container C. Downward movement of the device F from the position shown in` Fig. 3 to the full-line position thereof shown in Fig. 1 pulls furtherweb material over the form 6 to form a further section of tubing T and to bring thel longitudinal margins of further web material adjacent the sealing device P. At the end of the down stroke of the mechanism F,a seal UL previously formed between two filled containers is brought intothe path of movement of the blades 8|, 82 of a Web-severing device, similar to websevering device KA, which operates concurrently with release of the web material by mechanism F to cut through the seal UL between the containers and so detach the lowermost of them from the web material. The detached container slides from the machine along the chute. I0.

The particular machine shown is a dual unit; while aforesaid cycle of operation is being performed upon web material W, the same sequence of operations is being performed by similar mechanism upon the web WA because the mechanism for operating upon web WA is essentially a duplicate of that described for operating upon web W, its components are identified -by the. same Vreference characters plus the letter A.

The feeding and severing mechanisms vare driven by motor II supported by frame I2 of the machine; a pulley I3`on the motor shaft is connected, as by belt I4, to the pulley l5 on one end of a shaft I6 supported by brackets I1. I 8T attached to the frame member I9 of the machine; to the other end of shaft I6 is attached a sprocket 20 which, through chain 2|, drives a sprocket 22 on the main control shaft'23 of the machine.

The feeding head or turret H which segregates measured amounts of filling for delivery into the tubes 6; 6A, is driven from shaft 23 through the chain 24 which connects sprockets 25 and 26 on shaft 23 and jack-shaft 21, respectively, chain 28 which connects sprocket 26 on shaft 21 with sprocket 30 on shaft 3|, bevel gear 32 on shaft 3l, bevel gear 33 on shaft34, and chain 35 connecting the sprocket 36 on the upper end of shaft 34 Ato the sprocket 31 on shaft V38 of the feeding head H. The particular feeding head shown, which may be replaced by others for different characters of lling for the containers, comprises a stationary plate 39 suitably held as by brackets 46 to the frame member 9 of the machine and provided with openings 'in registry with or received by the upper ends of the web-shaping tubes 6, 6A. Plate 42 of the head, which is attached to shaft 38, serves as a support for the open-ended measuring tubes 43 received by or in registry with openings through the plate 42 and also serves to prevent escape of material from the hopper 44 except as provided by the openings through the plate 42 into measuring tubes 43.

The movement of the turret of feeding head H ,is preferably so timed that material is discharged" from the forms 6, 6A into the tubes T, TI of web material substantially at the end of each feeding stroke of the package-forming and web-feeding devices F, FA.

Reciprocation of the feeding device F is controlled by cam 45 attached to the main shaft 23 of the machine; the periphery of cam 45 is engaged by cam follower or roll 46 extending from the member 41 having a forked end embracing the shaft 23 and pivotally connected at 48 to one arm of a bell-crank lever 49 pivotally mounted at 50 upon a bracket 5I depending from the frame member 4I of the machine. The other arm of bell-crank lever 49 is slotted, as shown in Flg. 2,' to allow adjustment of the supporting pin 52 of the roller 53 which engages the under surface of the ledge member 54 adjustably secured to plunger 55 guided at its lower end by bracket 5I and passing through frame member 4l for connection to the cross member 51 through which machine, the bell-crank lever 49 is oscillated t0 eect` reciprocation of member 51 toward and from its uppermost position, Fig. 3 corresponding with the dotted line position thereof shown in Fig. 1. The length of the stroke or extent of vertical reciprocation of the package-forming mechanisms F, FA may be varied for production of containers of different lengths by adjustment of supporting pin 52 of roller 53 in the slotted end of the bellcranklever 49. For reasons which hereinafter appear, the slot I which receives the pin 52 extends, when arm 49 is in its uppermost' position, substantially at right angles to the direction of movement of plunger 55, thus to insure that, regardless of the length of stroke, the uppermost position of the package-forming mechanisms F, FA is aiwaysthe same.

'I'he two members 6I, 62 are biased toward or into engagement with each other by springs, not shown, and are intermittently separated from each other by the cams 66, 66A, respectively mounted upon the shafts 58, 58A.

The movement of members 6I, 62 toward and away from each other by rotation of shafts 58, 58A is controlled by cam 61 on shaft 68 driven from the main shaft 23 through gearing including the gear 69. The cam follower 1 I, which continuously engages the periphery of cam 61, is supported at the lower end of a bar 12 which'passes throughv a slot in the frame member 4I for pivotal connection at its upper end to one arm of a bell-crank, lever 13 pivotally mountedv upon bracket 14 and biased to the position shown in Fig. 1 by the spring 15 extending from the sta- The same cam61 is utilized to control operation of the web-severing mechanisms K, KA, which may be identical in construction and similar to the web-severing mechanisms shown in aforesaid'Zwoyer patent. Sumce to say that concurrently with movement of the members 6I, 62,

away from each other, the two blades 8|, 82, Fig.

f 6, of the web-severing device K, move toward each other to cut through the webbing intermediate the limits of a seal UL between two adjacent containers, and concurrently a similar vset of blades in the head KA severs the webbing WA by cutting through a seal UL between two adjacent containers. Movement of the shaft 81A, which controls the knives of the cutting head KA, is produced by aforesaid reciprocation of rack 18, which is in continuous driving engagement with the gear 94A on shaft 81A; by a similar arrangement, rack 18 controls the operation of the knives- Referring to Figs. 3 to 8., from the lower end of the forming tube 6, there extends the pair of plates which in effect form a continuation of the tube 6. The distance between the plates as viewed'in Fig. 3 and the distance between the vertical edges of each plate, as viewed in Fig. 4, is such that there is dened a Vrectangle whose perimeter is at least approximately equal to the perimeter of tube 6 (Fig. 5). The plates |00 are preferably of springy metal to insure their return to the position shown in Fig. 3 after they have been flexed during flattening of the tube T of the web material, as hereinafter described.

The two tucking members |0|, |0|, ypreferably wires of springy metal, are fastened at their upper ends to a supporting bracket |0|A in such position that, except for restraint imposed upon them by the webbing, they tend to move between the plates |00.' Consequently, as the tube T is fed downwardly, as previously described, the tucking members or tools |0I, |0| tend to crease opposite sides of the tube, and so start the formation of gusset folds G.

When the plates |00, |00 are moved to the position 'shown in Fig. 6, as hereinafter described, the tucking tools |0|, |0| because of their tension or bias, move toward one another between the plates, as more clearly shown in Fig. 7, to take up the slack in the webbing and so further to tuck in the webbing. To prevent the tucked-in sides of the webbing from being injured by too close approach of the plates |00 and the turnin tools |0|, the former are provided with stops |02 which limit the extent to which the plates 00, |00 can be flexed toward each other.

Referring to Fig. 3, which shows the members 6|, 62 in their most separated position and at the top of their stroke, upon one of them, 6|, is mounted a clamping or heat-sealing member |03 preferably faced with Neoprene, an artiiicial rubber not appreciably `affected by the temperatures involved for heat-sealing of Cellophane, Pliofilm, or the like; upon the other of these members, 62, is mounted a complementary Web-clamping or heat-sealing member |04 comprising, in the particular example shown, a metal block |05, in which is disposed a thermostat |06, and a metal block |01a in which is disposed a heating coil |25.

In the preferred arrangement shown in Figs. 3

to 8, thereare, in addition to the sealing members |03, |04, additional web-clamping members; the lower pair of them, |08, |00, are carried by the members 6|, 62, respectively, and are biased to the position shown in Fig. 3 bythe springs H0, the upper pair of them, H2, H3, are also carried'I by the members 6|, 62, respectively, and are biased to the position shown in Fig. 3 by the springs H4, l5. When the members 6|, 62 are in their most separated position, al1 of aforesaid clamping members are out of engagement with the web, thus to clear the containers as the package-feeding and forming mechanisms F, FA comprising these members move to .their uppermost position. 1

While the frame members 6|, 62 of the mechanisms F, FA, are at the top of their stroke, they move toward one another under the control of cam 61. AReferring to Fig. l, asthe cam follower 1| m'oves off the high section a of cam 61, on to the intermediate section b, the members 6|, 62 move from their position shown in Fig. 3 to` the position shown in Fig. 6. During this movement, each of the sealing members |03, |04 and the upper pair of auxiliary .clamping members I I2, H3, if used, press against the lower free ends of the flexible plates |00, |00 andiiiove them toward one another, thus reducing the tenu sion of the webbing between the plates and so allowing the spring members |0I, |0| to tuck inl the opposite sides of the tubing T, generally as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. The lower pair of auxiliary clamping members |08, |09, if used, for this intermediate position of the frame members 6|, 62, clamp the lwebbing below the plates |00, |00 and so relieve the tubes T above the clamps |08, |09, of tension due to the weight of the filled containers C|, C2, as yet undetached .from the webbing.

As the frame members 6|, 62 move downwardly under control of cam 45, they move toward one another from the position shown in Fig. 6 to the position shown in Fig. 8, as follower 1| moves over section b of cam 61. By this second movement ofl the members 6|, 62 toward each other, the sealing members |03, |04 apply heat and pressure to the flattened sides of the tube previously engaged by the plates' |00, |00 and to the tucked-in sides of the tube previously engaged by the tucking members |0|, |0I; also by this movement of members 6|, 62 toward each other in their downward movement, the upper pair of auxiliary clamping members ||2, ||3 tightly clampthe flattened webbing above. that portion of it being heat-sealed, thus to relieve the heated webbing of the seal from the feeding tension otherwise exerted upon it during the downward movement of the members 6|, 62; the lower pair of auxiliary clamping members |08,

|00 relieve the heated seal of tension due to the weight of the filled containers C|, C2.

At the bottom of the stroke of members 6|, 62, they are moved, under the control of cam 61, to

their separated position shown in Fig. 3; and

then under the control of cam 45 they are moved while so separated to the top of their stroke '(Fig. 3) for the next web-feeding and packageforming stroke.

During the downward feed of the tube T, the tension upon the plates |00, |00 is relieved suiciently to allow them to return to their position shown in Fig. 3 and the resulting distension of the tube by the plates |00, |00 effects return of the tucking members |0I, |0| to their position shown in Fig. 4.

The iiexible plates |00, |00 may be replaced by any equivalent structure suited normally to distend the tube T, capable of yielding when engaged by the web-clamping or seal-forming tools to allow movement between them of tucking tools equivalent to the spring members |0|, 0|; and it is to be understood that for the spring members |0|, |0| may be substituted any suitable tucking tools biased to tuck in opposite sides of .the tube T between plates |00, |00 or operated by suitable mechanism at proper time in the cycle of operation of the machine.

' ly appears in Fig.'8, is sealed at both ends, vand adjacent its sealed ends is provided with gusset folds allowing the container to be squared to facilitate its handling and storage.

When the length of stroke of plunger 55 is changed correspondingly to change the length of the containers, the members 6|. 62 nevertheless always return to the upper position shown in Fig. 3, because of stroke-adjusting arrangement shown in Fig. 2, so to ensure the desired cooperation between plates |00, or equivalent, and the web-clamping members.

'The mechanism disclosed and described is suitable for making the gusset type, multi-ply containers shown in Stokes application Serial No. 290,378, filed August 16, 1939.

In the modification shown in Fig. 10, members 6| and 52, and the auxiliary clamping members which relieve the heated seal from tension are similar to corresponding elements shown in Figs. 3, 6 and 8, except they are hollow to provide for passage through them of a cooling medium, such as water. Each of the auxiliary clamping members ||2C, H3C, |080 and |09C may be in the form of a hollow bar sufliciently long to extend entirely across the tubing with connections between the interiors of the bars, preferably afforded by flexible tubing, allowing passage of cooling medium through the auxiliary clamping members in any desired manner; the flow of liquid may be in series through the clamping membeis, or the paths of the stream of cooling liquid may split for passage through the several clamping tools. yPreferably, as shown, the auxiliary clamping tools are so shaped they approach as closely as possible the edges of the sealing members |04, |05.

What we claim is:

1. Apparatus for making gusset-type containers from flexible webbing comprising a stationary form about which the webbing is shaped into a tube, means for flattening the tube beyond said stationary form to eiect engagement of opposite sides thereof with each other, members movable toward each other beyond said form for tucking other sides of the tube between said opposite sides of the tube before their aforesaid engagement with each other, and mechanism operable intermittently to provide for tucking movements of said members.

2. Apparatus for making gusset-type containers comprising yielding members for distending a tube of flexible materiaL-members for engaging the exterior of said tube and movable between said yielding members, and means for effecting movement of said first-named members toward each other concurrently with movement of said second-named members toward each other between said first-named members.

3. Apparatus for making gusset-typecontainers fromA flexible webbing comprising 'a form about which the webbing is shaped into la tube, yielding members extending within the tube beyond the form to maintain the tube distended, tucking members for engaging the exterior of the tube beyond said form and movable between said yielding members, andmembers movable toward eachother to flatten the tube and move said `yielding members toward eachother concurrent-v lywith movement between them of said tucking members.

' form vand biasedV forV movement .toward each other, yielding members within said'tube resisti'ng movementof Asaid tucking toolsl land means for flattening the' tubeV and concurrently moving said yielding' members toward each other toallow tucking movement of said tools.

5. Apparatus for making gusset-type containers from flexible webbing comprising a form about which the webbing is shaped into a tube, tube-feeding means including clamping members movable toward each other to flatten the tube beyond said form and movable away from the form while clamping the tube between them, yielding members extending within the tube -beyond the form to maintain the tube distended until they are moved toward each other by said clamping members, and tucking tools operable upon; aforesaid movement of said yielding members to tuck opposite sides of the tube between them.

6. Apparatus for making gusset-type containers from flexible webbing, comprising a form about which the webbing is Shaped into a tube, sealing'means comprising members movable toward each other to atten the tube beyond said form and form a transverse seal, yielding members within said tube to maintain it distended beyond said form until they yield to the tube-flattening operati-on of said members, and tucking toolsI operable during'yielding of said members to tuck opposite sides of the tube between them.

7. Apparatus for making gusset-type containers from flexible webbing comprising a form about which the webbing is shaped into a tube, reciprocating feeding means comprising clamping members movable toward each other to fiatten the tube between them, and tucking tools beyond said form movable between said members in timed relation to their movement with respect tov each other to tuck in opposite sides of the tube l of said tube beyond said form for movement,I

upon aforesaid movement of said sealing tools toward each other, effecting tucking of said.-

sides of the tube between said sealing tools.

9. Apparatus for making gusset-type containers from flexible webbing comprising a form about which the webbing is shaped into atube, flexible plates extending from said form as a continuation thereof, members biased in engagement with opposite sides of the tube and normally prevented from moving between said plates by the tensioned webbing, and means for fiattening said tube and concurrently bending said plates toward one another to allow said biased members to tuck said opposite sides of the tube between said plates.

10. Apparatus for makingV gusset-type containers. from flexible webbing comprising a stationary form about which the webbing is shaped into a tube,'tucking tools for engaging the tube beyond said form, and means for feeding the webbing comprising reciprocating structure movable toward and from said form,` members carried by'said vstructure and movable toward each other adjacent thelimit of movement of said structure toward said form to'clampv the tube adjacent said tucking tools, and` means for varying the lengthI of the stroke of lsaid reciprocat- 'ing structure constructed to maintain'constant the relation between said limit of movement -of said structure and said tucking tools.

11. Apparatus for making containers from flexible thermoplastic webbing comprising a form about which the webbing is shaped into a tube, 'tube-feeding and sealing .means comprising reciprocating structure, heat-sealing means carried by said structure and movable toward other to clamp the tube between them for movement of said structure away from said form, auxiliary hollow members arriedby said structure for relieving the heated portion of the tube from feeding tension, and means for passing a cooling medium through said members.

13. Apparatus for making gusset-type containers comprising yielding means within a tube of flexible material for distending it, tucking members movable toward each other to tuck in sides oi the tube in opposition to said yielding means, and sealing members for engaging and attening other sides of the tube to include between them the sides tucked in by said tucking members.

14. Apparatus for making. gusset-type containers comprising a form about which webbing is shaped into a tube. yielding members within said tube for distending it, biased members en- Raging opposite sides of the tube externally thereof,.and reciproca-ble web-feeding members coacting adjacent one limit of their reciprocation with said yielding and biased members to produce tucks in said opposite sides of the tube.

15. Apparatus for making and lling gussettype containers comprising a form about which webbing is shaped into a tube and through vwhich lling is introduced into the containers, movable tucking members biased toward each other into Y engagement with opposite sides 0f said tube beyond the form, sealing members movable toward each other transversely to seal the tube, and means .including said sealing members for controlling movement of said tucking members to form gusset folds in part included in each of the transverse seals and movable away from veach other to effect reverseylnovement of said tucking members to position non-obstructive to ,introduction of filling.

16. Apparatus for making gusset-type containers from exible webbing comprising a form about which the webbing is shaped into a tube.

and means for producing gusset folds in opposite sides of the tube comprising flexible plates disposed within said tube .and providing a continuation thereof yieldingly distending the tube of webbing.

17. Apparatus for making gusset-type con- 'tainers from flexible webbing comprising a form about which the webbing is shaped into a tube,

spaced yielding members within the tube and extending beyond said form to distend the tube. and means for flattening the tube in opposition to said yielding members and for controlling tucking between said members of the slack in the webbing produced by aforesaid ilattening thereof.

JOHN R. SONNEBORN. ,JONATHAN Y. AIBERTSON, 

